


Mother's Days

by OneForMischief



Series: The Misadventures of Darcy Lewis and Agent Not-So-Dead [6]
Category: Iron Man (Comic), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Joanna-centric, Joanna/Howard might be my OTP, Mother's Day, one-shot in this 'verse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-20
Updated: 2013-05-20
Packaged: 2017-12-12 09:16:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/809909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneForMischief/pseuds/OneForMischief
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joanna Vasquez visits the graves of Maria Stark and Rachel Lewis on the Mother's Days after their deaths.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mother's Days

**May 10, 1992**

“I’m not really sure why I’m here,” Joanna murmurs, laughing nervously. “I was just thinking about you today, I guess.”

She takes a deep breath and sits down, crossing her legs.

“I keep thinking about the day Tony was born. He was so small and pink, and when Howard handed him to me, I just sat down and cried like a child. I wanted…I wanted to keep him, and I’m so sorry. I just sat there holding your son while you hemorrhaged, and then I let you thank me for saving you.”

 “I’ve never been a good person, Maria, and I’ve never pretended to like you, but I couldn’t hate you, either. Not after that, even though you married my husband and all I wanted from the moment I saw your son was to be his mother.”

“I think I came here to apologize, but I’m not very good at that, either,” she smiles, wiping her eyes. “Anyway, I’m glad we weren’t friends. I’d have been horrible at it, and I say this as someone who already slept with your husband and considered letting you die once. I just…thank you, for not telling him about Abigail. Even if it was just so you could keep him.”

She stands, brushing the grass from her legs, and walks away without a glance at Howard’s headstone.

* * *

 

**May 14, 2006**

“I hate this,” she says finally, looking at the grass she’s twisting in her fingers. “I wanted her to be so much older the first time she had to be without a mother on this day.”

She sits there quietly for a few minutes before she glances up at the lettering on the headstone.

Rachel Zahava Lewis, Beloved Wife and Mother, 1939-2005. There is no mention of the fact that the woman in this bit of ground was one of the greatest spies of her era.

“I’ve done a lot of things wrong, Rach,” Joanna begins, “but giving you our girl was the one thing I’m sure I got right. I want you to know that.”

“I got the letter from your lawyer, and I can’t. I can’t tell her, not now. If the world finds out who her parents are, the Red Room will come for her, or threaten to. I’ll tell her when I’ve wiped them out, and not a minute before. I hope you understand.”

As she rises to leave, she finds herself pausing and running her fingertips over the edge of the stone.

“Even if that day comes, you will _always_ be her mom.”

**Author's Note:**

> I will never be able to write enough Bast for my own heart.
> 
> There will be a much longer story about Tony's birth later.


End file.
